Louisiana Sauce Piquante

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef and/or pork (or cut roast)
2 links Cajun sausage
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
Rotel tomatoes

Directions:
1. Season meat with preferred seasoning: salt, pepper, Cajun seasonings
2. Brown meat and sausage.
3. Remove meat and sausage from pot
4. Saute onions and garlic in oil
5. Add rotel. Return meat to pot
6. Add water to just cover meat. Cook until meat is tender, at least 45 min
7. Serve over rice

*caveat: you can clean this up by not using Rotel, but it DEFINITELY doesn't taste the same :) You can also serve over quinoa if you are not a fan of rice.

Also, I use Cajun sausage, made from fresh venison and pork, smoked in my uncle's back yard. All true cajun style. That is not available at the local grocer. That being said, I tried it with store bought sausage, and it was not the same, but not too bad.

Mexican Pozole with Roasted Corn and Feta

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen organic corn (avoid those GMO's :)
5 tsp ground cumin, divided
2 tsp EVOO
2 tsp coconut oil
4 cloves garlic
3 cups low sodium, organic chicken broth
1 2oz bag sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 approx 1lb spaghetti squash, skin and seeds removed, cut into 1" cubes
1 Tbsp chili powder
feta cheese (optional)
1 green onion, minced
2 Tbsp cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place corn on baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with 2 tsp cumin, salt, pepper, and olive oil. toss with fingers to mix. Bake for 35 min or until kernels golden brown
2. Heat coconut oil in large stockpot on med. Add onion and poblano pepper and saute approx 3 min. Add garlic, saute 2 more min.
3. Add broth, 1 cup water, tomatoes, squash, chili powder, remaining cumin. Bring to boil, then reduce to low. Simmer, covered, for 20 min.
4. Stir in roasted corn. Garnish each bowl with green onion and cilantro.

We served this with tortilla chips and avocado.

Thai Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp red curry paste
2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup bulgar wheat
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups cooked kidney beans
1/2 c coconut milk
2 cups tomato puree
2 scallions, chopped
fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste


Directions:
1. In 4 qt pot, add curry paste and a bit of broth. Mash mixture and stir until no lumps.
2. Saute onions, bell pepper, garlic in mixture, adding broth slowly if needed to prevent burning.
3. Add broth, bulghur, potato. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to med-low and cook fo r10 min
4. Add coconut milk and tomato puree to pot and stir. Cook, uncovered, at least 10 minutes, until bulghur and sweet potato is tender and chili is thick.
5. Stir in scallions and black pepper and serve.

Chicken and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs organic chicken breasts
8 cups water
8 medium russet potatoes
2 medium onions, chopped
1-2 cups organic corn (we choose organic corn because non-organic corn is genetically modified)
Cajun seasoning
Parsley
1/3 cup chives
salt to taste
1/3 c flour
1 1/2 c almond milk

Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt and Cajun seasoning. Place water, onion and chicken in pot. Boil, reduce to simmer. Cook over med heat for 1 hour.
2. Add potatoes and boil for 10-15 min until soft.
3. Remove chicken and potatoes. Add corn and chives and cook for 10 min.
4. Meanwhile, cut chicken into small peices and mash a few of the potatoes into small course chunks, to preference.
5. Return potatoes and chicken to pot. Season to taste again.
6. In separate pot, combine flour and milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, until thick. Add to pot.
7. Season with parsley and chives before serving.

Lemon Pepper Tilapia

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia
zest and juice of 2 lemons (save the rest of the lemon)
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
chopped parsley
1/4 c olive oil
(optional lemon pepper seasoning)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to broil
2. Mix all ingredients and pour over tilapia in pan. Allow to sit for 20 min.
3. You may want to spray pan with cooking spray, but I have found it is not necessary. I like to put the lemon halves (even though they have been zested and juiced) in the pan to. It adds just a bit more lemon flavor, which I love!)
4. Place in oven and broil about 10 min (depends on thickness of fish filets).

Vegan Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Earth's Balance "butter" or other vegan butter substitute
2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 containers frozen, thawed, drained squeezed dry (could sub fresh easily)
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and cut
1/2 cup tofu based cream cheese (we use Tofutti)
1/4 c almond or coconut milk
2 tsp nutmeg
salt and black pepper
*optional 1/4 to 1/2 c Parmesan substitute or real Parmesan for non-vegan

Directions:
1. Heat butter and olive oil over med-high heat.
2. Add garlic and onion. Cook until onion transparent and garlic fragrant
3. Add remaining ingredients, and season to taste. Cook until spinach is hot, about 5 min.

*Caveat: Our family has food allergies, and so we have some who are vegan and some not. We make this recipe with no Parmesan or Parmesan sub, then those of us who eat cheese add it to our plate while hot, and our vegans eat without any cheese substitute and love it..

Roasted Fennel and Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 Fennel bulbs, sliced lengthwise into wedges
3 Tbsp fennel fronds, chopped
10 red potatoes, cut in half
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425 deg. Set roasting pan in oven and let preheat for 20 min.
2. Season fennel and potatoes with salt and pepper. Toss with olive oil.
3. Remove roasting pan from oven and place fennel and potatoes in hot pan.
4. Return pan to oven and roast for approx 35 min, without turning, until vegetables are golden brown.

Thank you Martha Stewart! This turned out scrumptious!